Putting patients first? : luci e ombre del coinvolgimento attivo dei pazienti nei processi di cura

The patient activation seems to favour the achievement of promising results. Nevertheless, paying uncritically attention to the priority role of patients risks to attribute responsibility to those who are unable to take them, underestimating the relevance of consolidated relationships of power, or even hiding the failure of dissemination of relational and communication competence to doctors.

The contribution - starting from an analysis of national and international literature - aims to account for multidimensional approaches to patient engagement, able to distinguish between different areas (one's own care, organizational and governance aspects, policy making) and levels of activation (from episodic consultation to systematic involvement in decisions). More reflections on the different models of care and on the best methods to achieve engagement are needed. [Publisher's text]